POETICAL ESSAYS. THE PEST. The guards of chastity asleep are laid, And quick to ruin sinks the yielding maid! But short thy joys, illicit love! move: Scarcely arriv'd ere they decay, Thus have I mark'd in Summer scene But, lo! the sweeping tempests rise, The die! The mist of passion once remov'd, How strangely alter'd him she lov'd! How cold, how callous is he grown! She looks, and stiffens into stone. The fiend her misery makes his jest, And all the devil stands confess'd! Where now the joys the soul that move? Where are now the looks of love? Sickness sore, diseases dire, Shunn'd, despis'd, by all forgot, For ever with her God and Father dear, here., B. STEPHENSON. Pentonville, Nov. 1807. A DIRGE AT MIDNIGHT. A FRAGMENT. ON the noble organ 's swell, While the heavenly solemn sound Pentonville. B. STEPHENSON Taught me to smirk, to lisp, and talk of Love. Sweet forty-five I am this very morn, And I've left off my aunt's fantastic All off my head my mixed hair I' shave, And sport the wig as other ladies do; A set of teeth of ivory white I'll have, And patch, and paint, since now it's all the go. Pity the suff'rings of an aged maid, And in compassion take me to your arms, Or soon with love I die, (I am afraid,} Then sink to dust my beauty and my charms. VIRTUE [Written under a spreading Tree, on O YOU! who pass these sylvan glades, SONNET TO THE HEART. R. SAY, trembling tenant of this pensive breast, What lurking sorrow thus thy peace destroys? Why melancholy sadness o'er thy joys Thus broods; and, cruel, robs thee of thy rest? Does some fair maid for whom the heavy sigh In tones convulsive shrills around thy seat? IN S SEEING HER WALKING THE peaceful eve, with smile serene, The feather'd songster's pleasing strain, Or echoed on the breeze, All, all were hush'd in every grove That borders S's vale; On Echo's car her plantive strains And canst thou leave the giddy throng, Soft swelling on the ear? Sweet bird of night! for her extend Each falling eve thy throat; How happy is the swain who treads With thee yon cloister's sable shades, The loves that round thy features play A heav'n in their smile. Oh could I stray, the wish how vain, And fondly listen to the strain That warbled from thy tongue, Each busy scene of care, FOREIGN NEWS. Leghorn, Sept. 4. THE entry of the French troops into eur city was so unexpected, that no one knew beforehand of their coming: from that time their number has increased to 6,000, General Dumoulin commands them. Two French commissaries arrived with them, who immediately ordered an embargo to be laid on all the ships in port, to examine if their cargoes consisted of English merchandise or not; the troops occupied the ports and the forts of the city. The next day, the General published a proclamation, ordering all persons who possessed English merchandise of whatever nature it might be, to make a declaration thereof within twenty-four hours, with an injunction to every merchant who should not make an exact declaration, of paying three times the value of the goods, which should be entirely confiscated; besides, no ship should leave the port, and no person to quit the city until fresh orders. The English have sustained at Leghorn an incalculable loss, as it was there that they have for some years past sent all the goods with which they supplied Italy. Lisbon, Sept. 7. At last, activity begins to shew itself here! Every ship of war in the river is put into commission, and they are at work at them all day and all night, Sundays and holidays not excepted. Our squadrons in the Mediterranean are called home, and small ships sent off to the islands for seamen, from whence you may know they always get recruits for our navy. The whole world seems to believe that these ships are preparing to convoy a certain personage to the Brazils, and that it is very true that the demands of France have been reVOL. XXXVIII. jected entirely; but there is no change in the Ministry in any department. Pressing for soldiers has been much talked of, but nothing of the kind has taken place; nor can I perceive any thing that indicates land preparations; and what good purpose could it answer to make any? Accounts froni France and from Spain are so contradictory, regarding the invasion of this country, that no one knows what to believe. There is no doubt but an army of observation is collecting at and near Bayonne; and I believe it is equally true, that our imbecile neighbours are raising more troops. Vienna, Sept. 19. They write from Trieste, that on the 5th inst. a squadron was seen, consisting of three frigates and thirty transports, having on board the Russian troops from Cattaro, who intended to land at Venice; but the English frustrated this object, and forced the said squadron to take shelter in the port of Pisano, where it is now blockaded. Lisbon, Oct. 10. We have been disappointed of the arrival of a packet; the departure of the convoy is, with difficulty, postponed to the 16th instant; the Lively will accompany it, leaving the Cephalus brig at the orders of Lord Strangford, and the Raven, to remain in the neighbourhood. The Portuguese squadron in the Mediterranean had been sent for, and is arrived. Six ships of the line are ready. The Prince of Beira (a child nine years of age) is said to be about to embark for the Brazils. It is doubtful whether his father, the Prince Regent, will go. The Portuguese ministry are anxious for the English to get off. We have no advice of the French having begun their march from Bayonne. Venice, Oct. 11. We learn from Mal 4 L |